I’m scanning in old pics and here is a photo taken at a very old Comdex perhaps 15 years ago. It’s the Singer (as in sewing machine) laptop. This is one of the many oddball machines that came out over the years. My all-time fav is the John Deere desktop computer that was actually quite jazzy for its time (mid 1980’s).
But try to find any reference whatsoever about these machines such as the specifications. There is a new phenomenons I call search interference and search noise. This refers to lots of posts that incorporate the words you’d normally use. “Singer” is a magnet for this. If you don’t get references to actual singers it’s complicated by Michael Singer at C-Net as well as a slew of other writers and people named Singer.
The challenge I present to you is to find the history of this machine and the specifications. No prizes, but a lot of acclaim. I actually doubt anyone can do it. If you manage to do it, you have to also disclose the search techniques you used – hopefully it’s not “I searched Singer Laptop and on page 203 I found it!”
When you are done try to find pics of the John Deere machine.
Re: Zenith. This is a machine I actually own. The Singer is not a Zenith. Look at the flange and hinges and the overhangs. The Zenith is square and the Singer is a stubby T. The keys are also different. Also the corners are more rounded on the Zenith.
Keep digging. If anyone finds the details it is going to have to be a convoluted search.
The specs are right there on the card in the picture. Come up with the model name or number from the higher res original picture.
Why is this supposed to be such a challenge? You look up Singer, find their webpage, find an email address and ask.
Or are we all so nerdy that we cant imagine engaging in human contact? The internet is a communications system, not a empty unmanned library.
“You look up Singer, find their webpage, find an email address and ask.”
If that’s the solution try it. I cannot believe that ANYONE currently at Singer would know where those specs are. And that’s assuming that they kept the specs somewhere.
Chances are the person answering the email would be someone from India who’d be working from a script. And it’s not like anyone answering emails in the US would spend more than 30 seconds on your question. Do you really think an employee of Singer could find those specs in 30 seconds? If they could, I’d love to see their filing system!
I’d bet at best they’d tell you to search for them on Google.
Already sent a letter and picture…Im waiting.
I have a high res photo..but that pic is already cropped..here is a close up of the sign..
AND BESIDES..that’s not the point of the contest!!
Cripes.
How revealing!!
I sure miss the old days of genuine computer innovation. Remember when you could walk into your local KMart and buy several different kinds of computers… Atari, Commodore, Timex Sinclair, Coleco, etc. etc. And those were just the ones you could grab off the shelf. There were a bunch more you could order or pick up at specialty shops.
Yes, my current PC is way more powerful but I miss those days,
I also miss the concept of the PC inside a Samsonite, like the osborne…
I’m not even going to try to find Singer’s laptop…
Just check these models…
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp
#27 I wrote that suggestion to start with the model name from the picture out of frustration wtih my search methods. Thought I’d search the computer museums and “singer-Friden”, but got nowhere. I’m having a hard time believing it’s not out there.
Hoovers.com gave me history on Singer NV and James Ting- CEO in the late ’80′s, googling this gave me a Forbes article on some of Singer’s woes and gave me the name of Semi-Tech Microelectronics. Googling this got me to this site: http://www.sinasohn.com/cgi-bin/clascomp/bldhtm.pl?computer=stmpc
with the following specs:Mfr: Semi-Tech Microelectronics
Location: Ontario, Canada
Model: STM PC
Processor: 80186
Speed: 8mhz
Op. Sys: MS-DOS version 2.11
Bits:
Internal: 16
Data: 16
RAM:
Min: 256K
Max: 512K
ROM:
Input: 83-key Keyboard
Display: Mono LCD 80×25 char
Storage:
Cassette:
Floppy Disk: one or two internal 5.25″ disk drives
Hard Disk:
Ports:
Serial: 2 DB-25 RS-232C ports
Parallel: Internal Thermal Printer, plus standard Centronics port
Keyboard: Proprietary RJ-11
Joystick:
Other: I/O Expansion, SCSI, RJ-11 Phone Line, Acoustic Coupler, RGB Color Video, B/W Composite Video
Expansion: “IBM PC I/O external bus expansion connector”
Introduced: ca. 1984
Discontinued:
Cost:
Physical:
Size: 20.3 x 10.8 x 4 inches ( 515 x 275 x 100 mm)
Weight: 18lbs (8.1kg)
Power:
Voltage: 110vac
Connector: Standard Line Cord
Polarity:
Peripherals:
Notes:
Perhaps the first MS-DOS portable with a standard SCSI port?
Hoovers.com gave me history on Singer NV and James Ting- CEO in the late ’80′s, googling this gave me a Forbes article on some of Singer’s woes and gave me the name of Semi-Tech Microelectronics. Googling this got me to this site: http://www.sinasohn.com/cgi-bin/clascomp/bldhtm.pl?computer=stmpc
with the following specs:Mfr: Semi-Tech Microelectronics
Location: Ontario, Canada
Model: STM PC
Processor: 80186
Speed: 8mhz
Op. Sys: MS-DOS version 2.11
Bits:
Internal: 16
Data: 16
RAM:
Min: 256K
Max: 512K
ROM:
Input: 83-key Keyboard
Display: Mono LCD 80×25 char
Storage:
Cassette:
Floppy Disk: one or two internal 5.25″ disk drives
Hard Disk:
Ports:
Serial: 2 DB-25 RS-232C ports
Parallel: Internal Thermal Printer, plus standard Centronics port
Keyboard: Proprietary RJ-11
Joystick:
Other: I/O Expansion, SCSI, RJ-11 Phone Line, Acoustic Coupler, RGB Color Video, B/W Composite Video
Expansion: “IBM PC I/O external bus expansion connector”
Introduced: ca. 1984
Discontinued:
Cost:
Physical:
Size: 20.3 x 10.8 x 4 inches ( 515 x 275 x 100 mm)
Weight: 18lbs (8.1kg)
Power:
Voltage: 110vac
Connector: Standard Line Cord
Polarity:
Peripherals:
Notes:
Perhaps the first MS-DOS portable with a standard SCSI port?
TomA – Close, but not quite. The site below shows a picture and details of the STM Personal Computer and it doesn’t match the Dvorak picture. The STM pictured is more of a block of components that folds into a carrying case.
One place to look might be in old Singer Company annual reports to find the actual model number that then might be useful in searching. It is likely from this era when Singer, STM et al. were merging, breaking uo and doing the 90′s Mergers and Acquisitions thing. From what I’ve read in the search, there was a period when the Singer trademark was not protected so it might be an STM machine from that era with a Singer logo.
Pictures of the STM Portable:
http://www.sinasohn.com/cgi-bin/clascomp/bldhtm.pl?computer=stmpc
All I could find where 3 information remnants, no homeruns; but, its a start for others maybe:
1st of 3:) http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:zDbrIhCreGoJ:slashdot.org/article.pl%3Fsid%3D00/10/11/1837236%26mode%3Dnested+%22singer+computer%22+floppy&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4
In that page you find::
*1*********************************************
Re:singer USED to make real computers
(Score:4)
by Carnage4Life (106069) on Wednesday October 11, @03:08PM (#713620)
(http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog | Last Journal: Sunday May 12, @12:36AM)
Singer sold point-of-sale systems that it obtained from purchasing a company called Friden in 1963. The computer branch of Singer was sold in 1976 to ICL [icl.com]. Here’s a German page with a listing for an old Singer computer [debitel.net], as well as another listing in English [digiweb.com]. This article on Computer Weekly [findarticles.com] describes Singer and NCR as being the kings of the point-of-sale terminal market in the mid-seventies.
*1 of 3*********************************************
*2 of 3*********************************************
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:51DHx8LPkD4J:www.artikelzoeker.nl/%3Fz%3Dstaps%26s%3D1+%22singer+computer%22+floppy&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=22
in there you find::
Singer Computer naaimachine Cosmo 7468 (VEILIG KOPEN)
Singer Computer naaimachine Cosmo 7468 (VEILIG KOPEN)
Model 7468 Het paradepaardje van deze
serie de veelzijdige Singer 7468 Dit
model vertegenwoordigt alles dat nodig
is om naaien en borduren eenvoudig…
*3 of 3*******************************************************
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:_dqNJLFKaMAJ:www.futurebots.com/cpu.htm+singer+computer+floppy+memory&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4
Singer FridenEC 117 Calculator, Nixie Tubes display,.
*3 of 3*******************************************************